Disney+ announces release dates for upcoming originals

Staff Writer

Disney+ has announced the release dates for a slew of upcoming originals, including Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Turner & Hooch and Loki.

At yesterday’s Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour, Disney+ paneled some of its upcoming series, including Big Shot and The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, and also presented a Q&A with Kevin Feige, Producer, President of Marvel Studios and Chief Creative Officer, Marvel, in support of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier’s March debut.

The streaming service also unveiled Spring and Summer premiere dates for additional new scripted series including Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Mysterious Benedict Society, Monsters At Work and Chip ‘N’ Dale: Park Life. and Turner & Hooch. The fan favorite Disney+ Original series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series will also return for its second season and Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Zenimation, an animated soundscape experience, will debut its second season on the service this summer. The titles join the previously announced The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, premiering on 19th March, and The Mighty Ducks: Game Changes, premiering on 26th March.

Disney+ launched in late 2019 in the USA, and in the UK last spring. Since then, it has racked up an ipmressive 94.9 million subscribers around the world (as of 2nd January) and picked up Golden Globe nominations for The Mandalorian and Hamilton.

Here’s the rundown of release dates confirmed:

BIG SHOT – FRIDAY, APRIL 16

After getting ousted from the NCAA, a hothead men’s basketball coach must take a job at an all-girls high school. He soon learns that teenage girls are more than just X’s and O’s; they require empathy and vulnerability — foreign concepts for the stoic Coach Korn (John Stamos). By learning how to connect with his players, Marvyn starts to grow into the person he’s always hoped to be. The girls learn to take themselves more seriously, finding their footing both on and off the court.

Series regulars include John Stamos, Jessalyn Gilsig, Richard Robichaux, Sophia Mitri Schloss, Nell Verlaque, Tiana Le, Monique Green, Tisha Eve Custodio, Cricket Wampler and Yvette Nicole Brown. Created and Executive Produced by David E. Kelley, Dean Lorey and Brad Garrett; Bill D’Elia also serves as Executive Producer. The series is a Disney+ Original produced by ABC Signature.

STAR WARS: THE BAD BATCH – TUESDAY, MAY 4

Star Wars: The Bad Batch follows the elite and experimental clones of the Bad Batch (first introduced in The Clone Wars) as they find their way in a rapidly changing galaxy in the immediate aftermath of the Clone War. Members of Bad Batch—a unique squad of clones who vary genetically from their brothers in the Clone Army – each possess a singular exceptional skill that makes them extraordinarily effective soldiers and a formidable crew.

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL: THE MUSICAL: THE SERIES (SEASON 2) – FRIDAY, MAY 14

In season two, the East High Wildcats, who are preparing to perform Beauty and the Beast as their spring musical, face off against rival school North High to win a prestigious and cutthroat student theater competition. Wigs are snatched, loyalties are tested, and ballads are belted. The season also features brand-new solos written by Olivia Rodrigo and Joshua Bassett.

The series stars Olivia Rodrigo, Joshua Bassett, Sofia Wylie, Matt Cornett, Larry Saperstein, Julia Lester, Dara Reneé, Frankie Rodriguez, Joe Serafini, Mark St. Cyr and Kate Reinders. Guest-starring this season are Derek Hough, Olivia Rose Keegan, Roman Banks, Andrew Barth Feldman and Asher Angel. High School Musical: The Musical: The Series is executive-produced by its creator Tim Federle (Golden Globe and Academy Award-nominated Ferdinand) and is “Certified Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes, and recently was awarded a GLAAD Media Award.

LOKI – FRIDAY, JUNE 11

Loki features the God of Mischief as he steps out of his brother’s shadow in a new series that takes place after the events of Avengers: Endgame. Tom Hiddleston returns as the title character, joined by Owen Wilson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Sophia Di Martino, Wunmi Mosaku and Richard E. Grant. Kate Herron directs Loki, and Michael Waldron is head writer.

ZENIMATION (SEASON 2) – FRIDAY, JUNE 11

Zenimation, the series that creates a mindfulness soundscape experience with scenes from the timeless films of Walt Disney Animation Studios returns for a second season June 11 with all-new episodes. Season 2 features moments from over eight decades of acclaimed films – including scenes from Disney’s first feature Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs all the way through to the Studios’ latest, anticipated animated film, Raya and the Last Dragon. Unplug, relax, and refresh your senses with an aural experience like no other as Zenimation pays tribute to both the visual and sound artists who have created Disney Animation’s legacy of films. Created and edited by David Bess. Executive produced by Amy Astley. From Walt Disney Animation Studios.

THE MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT SOCIETY – FRIDAY, JUNE 25

Placed undercover at a boarding school known as The Institute, a group of orphans must foil a nefarious plot with global ramifications while creating a new sort of family along the way. Based on the bestseller by Trenton Lee Stewart which Time Magazine called one of the best young adult books of all time,The Mysterious Benedict Society stars Emmy® Award winner Tony Hale in the titular role and features a standout ensemble of young actors.

The Mysterious Benedict Society stars Tony Hale, Kristen Schaal, Ryan Hurst, MaameYaa Boafo, Gia Sandhu, Seth Carr, Emmy DeOliveira, Mystic Inscho and Marta Timofeeva. The series is executive produced by Sonar Entertainment, 20th Television, Jamie Tarses, Karen Kehela Sherwood, Matt Manfredi (writer/creator) and Phil Hay (writer/creator). Showrunners for the series are Darren Swimmer and Todd Slavkin.

MONSTERS AT WORK – FRIDAY, JULY 2

“Monsters At Work” takes place the day after the Monsters, Incorporated power plant started harvesting the laughter of children to fuel the city of Monstropolis, thanks to Mike and Sulley’s discovery that laughter generates ten times more energy than screams. It follows the story of Tylor Tuskmon, an eager young monster who graduated top of his class at Monsters University and always dreamed of becoming a Scarer, until he lands a job at Monsters, Incorporated and discovers that scaring is out and laughter is in.

Ben Feldman stars as the voice of Tylor Tuskmon in the series, which introduces new monster characters alongside returning favorites, including Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) and James P. “Sulley” Sullivan (John Goodman). Starring alongside Feldman as part of the MIFT crew are: Henry Winkler as Fritz, the scatterbrained boss; Lucas Neff as Duncan, an opportunistic plumber; and Alanna Ubach as Cutter, the officious rule follower.

In addition to Crystal and Goodman, returning cast members from the original movies include John Ratzenberger as Yeti and Tylor’s dad, Bernard; Jennifer Tilly as Celia Mae; and Bob Peterson as Roze, twin sister to his original Monsters, Inc. character, Roz. Voicing additional characters are Stephen Stanton as Smitty and Needleman, the bumbling custodial team at Monsters, Inc., and Aisha Tyler as Tylor’s mom, Millie Tuskmon. Produced by Disney Television Animation, the series was developed and is executive produced by Disney animation veteran Bobs Gannaway.

TURNER & HOOCH – FRIDAY, JULY 16

When an ambitious, buttoned-up US Marshal inherits a big unruly dog, he soon realizes the dog he didn’t want may be the partner he needs. Turner & Hooch stars Josh Peck as Scott Turner, son of Detective Scott Turner portrayed by Tom Hanks in the 1989 film of the same name.

The series also stars Carra Patterson as Jessica Baxter, Scott’s brave, street-smart partner; Brandon Jay McLaren as Xavier Wilson, a cool, enigmatic marine-turned-US Marshal; Anthony Ruivivar as Chief James Mendez, Scott’s boss with a secret soft spot for Scott’s new dog, Hooch; Lyndsy Fonseca as Laura Turner, Scott’s sweet, animal-loving sister; Jeremy Maguire as Matthew Garland, Laura’s dog-loving son; and Vanessa Lengies as Erica Mouniere, the quirky head of the US Marshals dog training program. Five French Mastiffs also star as Hooch, Scott’s slobbery, loveable French Mastiff.

Turner & Hooch is a Disney+ original series produced by 20th Television. Matt Nix is creator, executive producer and writer on the series. McG is an executive producer and directed the series premiere. Michael Horowitz, Robert Duncan McNeill and Mary Viola also serve as executive producers, and Josh Levy serves as co-executive producer.

CHIP ‘N’ DALE: PARK LIFE – FRIDAY, JULY 23

Chip ‘N’ Dale: Park Life follows two tiny troublemakers trying to live the good life in a big city park while having giant-sized, sky-high adventures. Disney’s beloved chipmunks, nervous worrier Chip and laid-back dreamer Dale, make the perfect odd couple. They’re best buddies and they drive each other nuts! In their perpetual pursuit of acorns, these ultimate underdogs are joined by Pluto, Butch and other iconic Disney characters as they face down bullies great and small. Combining classic-style cartoon comedy with contemporary storytelling, the 36 seven-minute episodes are directed by Jean Cayrol and produced by Marc du Pontavice at Xilam Animation